View Vacancy - DXB - Senior Regional Procurement Lead - Middle East & North Africa (HEO)

View Vacancy - DXB - Senior Regional Procurement Lead - Middle East & North Africa (HEO)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Category

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Job Subcategory

Procurement

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The British Embassy Dubai has a vacancy for a Senior Regional Procurement Lead , job grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO) on a fixed-term contract for two (2) years.

Main Purpose of the Role:

To serve as a senior procurement professional within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Regional Procurement Hub, leading the delivery of the higher-value, higher-risk and more complex procurements across the Middle East & North Africa region.

Based in Dubai and reporting into the Regional Procurement Hub in Manila, the role will work with Posts, customers, suppliers, UK Commercial teams and other stakeholders to deliver compliant, proportionate and value-for-money commercial outcomes.

The Senior Regional Procurement Lead will provide commercial leadership across the full procurement lifecycle, from early market analysis and sourcing strategy through tender, award, mobilisation and handover into contract management. The job holder will take ownership of strategically important or technically complex procurements, including projects requiring extensive stakeholder engagement, bespoke commercial solutions, significant risk management or coordination with central Commercial teams.

The role requires a high degree of autonomy, sound judgement and the confidence to lead complex assignments with limited day-to-day supervision.

The role intentionally places greater emphasis on senior technical delivery, commercial judgement and quality assurance than on general team management. The job holder will supervise one Procurement Lead, providing direction, work allocation, coaching, technical oversight and a first point of escalation, while remaining personally responsible for their own portfolio of complex procurement activities.

The job holder will also contribute to the Regional Procurement Hub's strategy, pipeline planning, governance, performance reporting and continuous improvement. They will promote consistent procurement standards across the region, identify opportunities for aggregation and standardisation, and build effective relationships with regional and global stakeholders and key suppliers.

The FCDO is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We do not discriminate on any basis, including categories protected by law. In keeping with the FCDO's commitment to disability inclusion in the workplace, hiring managers must incorporate the principles set out in the FCDO in the CBS recruitment process. Our CBS are recruited by Missions in-country in line with local employment laws.

Duties and responsibilities:

Lead higher-value and complex regional procurements

Whilst the job holder will be required to run procurements for Posts with lifetime value of £25,000 and above, they will be expected to take the on the procurement projects that are of higher-value, higher-risk, strategically important or otherwise complex requirements, across the Middle East & North Africa (providing surge & crisis support for other regions as may be required). The job holder will need to determine the appropriate procurement and commercial approach, ensuring compliance with applicable FCDO commercial policy, governance and procurement regulation. This would include running high-value procurements in accordance with the rules and regulations as stipulated in the UK Procurement Act 2023.

Provide commercial leadership throughout project definition, market engagement, sourcing strategy, competition, evaluation, negotiation, award, mobilisation and handover. Work with UK Commercial teams where required for procurements above delegated authority levels or where specialist assurance is needed.

• Challenge and refine business requirements, specifications, cost assumptions, evaluation approaches and route-to-market decisions.
• Identify opportunities to aggregate regional demand, standardise requirements and use existing global, regional or local commercial arrangements.
• Develop robust sourcing, category and market engagement strategies supported by proportionate market analysis.
• Lead complex tender activity, clarification, commercial negotiation and recommendation for award.
• Identify and manage commercial, legal, operational, financial, security, data and supplier risks, escalating material issues appropriately.
• Ensure clear audit trails, defensible decisions, effective governance and demonstrable value for money.
• Support contract mobilisation and effective transition into contract management, including appropriate performance measures, governance and benefits tracking.

Senior commercial advice and stakeholder leadership

Act as a trusted senior commercial adviser to Posts and regional stakeholders. Provide clear, practical and proportionate advice on procurement strategy, market conditions, supplier engagement, evaluation, negotiation, contract management and commercial risk.

• Build effective relationships with senior customers, budget holders, subject matter experts, suppliers and Commercial colleagues.
• Influence stakeholders and resolve competing priorities while protecting compliance, fairness and value for money.
• Act as an escalation point for complex procurement issues or service concerns within the allocated portfolio.
• Promote early engagement and improve the quality and completeness of the regional procurement pipeline.

Supervision and technical development of the Procurement Lead

Provide focused supervision to one Procurement Lead without taking on broad day-to-day management of the wider Hub. Set clear priorities and standards, allocate work appropriately and maintain oversight of delivery quality, risk and timeliness.

• Provide coaching, mentoring and technical guidance on procurement cases.
• Review key procurement documents and decisions, providing constructive quality assurance before governance or approval.
• Support workload planning, identify delivery pressures and escalate resource constraints to Hub leadership.
• Encourage professional development, consistent use of templates and adoption of good commercial practice.
• Provide an initial escalation route for delivery challenges, while retaining personal focus on complex procurements.

Governance, performance and continuous improvement

Support effective operation of the Regional Procurement Hub by maintaining reliable information on assigned projects and contributing to regional governance, assurance, reporting and improvement activity.

• Maintain accurate procurement records, pipeline information and project data in Jaggaer and other approved systems.
• Monitor milestones, risks, savings, benefits, KPIs and service commitments for the assigned portfolio.
• Contribute to compliance reviews, self-audits, spend analysis, forward planning and management reporting.
• Promote standardised processes, templates and proportionate controls across the region.
• Identify and implement practical improvements that strengthen quality, efficiency, customer service and data integrity.
• Share learning and build procurement capability among Hub colleagues and Post-based stakeholders.

Resources Managed:

• Supervisory responsibility for one Procurement Lead.
• Responsibility for a portfolio of higher-value and complex procurements across Middle East & North Africa.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required.

• Seeing the big picture: Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
• Making Effective Decisions: Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
• Leadership: Show pride and passion for public service. Create and engage others in delivering a shared vision. Value difference, diversity and inclusion, ensuring fairness and opportunity for all.
• Communicating and Influencing: Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses, and opinions of others.
• Developing Self and Others: Focus on continuous learning and development for self, others and the organisation as a whole.
• Managing a Quality Service: Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise, and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Substantial procurement and strategic sourcing experience, including personal leadership of higher-value, higher-risk or complex procurements.
• Demonstrable experience of developing sourcing strategies, running competitive tenders, evaluating bids, negotiating commercial positions and supporting contract award and mobilisation.
• Strong commercial judgement, with the ability to assess options, manage risk and make recommendations that can withstand governance and audit scrutiny.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders and influencing decisions in complex or sensitive situations.
• Experience of procurement governance, record keeping, pipeline management, performance reporting and use of e-Sourcing or contract management systems.
• Ability to manage a demanding portfolio independently, balance priorities and deliver at pace across multiple locations and time zones.
• Proficient communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken, with the ability to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• CIPS qualification, or active study towards CIPS, or an equivalent recognized procurement or commercial qualification.
• Experience of public sector procurement and regulated procurement procedures.
• Experience of working in a multinational or regional procurement environment, preferably across Middle East & North Africa.
• Experience of end-to-end procurement of goods, services and works across multiple category areas.
• Contract management and project management experience.
• Experience of supervising, coaching, mentoring or technically assuring the work of procurement professionals.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and Microsoft 365 skills, together with experience of Jaggaer or comparable e-Sourcing platforms.
• Arabic written and spoken language skills.

Required behaviours

Communicating and Influencing, Developing Self and Others, Leadership, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Seeing the Big Picture

Application deadline

11 October 2026

Grade

Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Type of Position

Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal

Working hours per week

40

Region

Middle East & North Africa

Country/Territory

United Arab Emirates

Location (City)

Dubai

Type of Post

British Embassy

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

AED

Salary

26,395

Type of Salary

monthly

Start Date

7 December 2026

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Working hours and remuneration:

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role, which includes 25 days of leave per annum (calculated pro-rata).

The salary for this role is AED 26,395 per month. The salary is non-negotiable .

There are no other allowances payable as part of this package. No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

This role is for a full-time employment, on a fixed term contract basis for two (2) years, subject to six (6) months' probationary period. The contract may be extended, subject to satisfactory performance and on on-going business requirement.

The Embassy is open from Monday to Friday from 0700 to 1800 hrs. The Employee's normal weekly working hours are forty (40) Monday to Friday (inclusive). This is inclusive of one-hour paid rest break for each five (5) hours worked; the timing of the rest break shall be approved by the Employee's Line Manager and in accordance with operational requirements.

Whilst the role is based in Dubai, the jobholder will be required to be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will be dictated by operational needs and will involve working out of hours to reflect the customer needs across this region.

This role is based in Dubai but will cover the Middle East & North Africa region and may involve travel within the region to assigned countries for business purposes. The successful candidate must be able to secure visas for these countries.

The Embassy has an active Learning and Development Committee, and the whole of Post is committed to providing the time and resources for staff to develop personally and professionally. The 70/20/10 learning and development model is applied in a flexible manner, with extensive informal and formal opportunities readily available.

The successful candidate will have access to a wide range of learning opportunities to support their professional development, subject to business need and approval, including Continual Professional Development through CIPS certification up to MCIPS Level, Contract Management Training - Government Commercial College, and also the opportunity for potential travel across the region depending on business need.

The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassy's sponsorship. Individuals holding Golden visas will need to cancel them prior to transferring to Embassy sponsorship.

Additional information

How to apply

Interested candidates must ensure that the online application form is completed in full, including:

• Complete education details and employment history.
• Complete experience, professional skills, and behaviour-based sections.

Please note that it is mandatory for all applicants to complete every section of the online application form, including employment history, education details, technical skills, experience, and behaviour-based questions.

Applications that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered during the shortlisting process.

Closing date for applications is at 23:55 UAE local time on 11th October 2026.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Internal candidates (i.e., those employed by the British Embassies in Abu Dhabi & Dubai) applying for this position are advised to inform their current line managers upon submission of their application.

Process:

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around two-three months . The security clearance process includes checks available in country and with UK, dependant on the security level required for the role and the candidates' profile and UK footprint. You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, only those shortlisted for the next step of the recruitment process will be contacted.

The start date mentioned in the job advert is tentative and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures before employment can begin. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a 'reserve list'. If during the reserve period of 12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

The FCDO operates an agile approach to delivery. To facilitate an agile workforce, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require. The British Embassy Dubai is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.